Hanging Caddy Device

ABSTRACT

A hanging caddy device is provided that is adapted to be supported by a towel rod or equivalent, and support products thereon. The caddy device comprises two or more vertical stringers, a lower cross member, and a shelf between the stringers. The shelf supports products and items thereon, while the lower cross member comprises a plurality of hanging hooks to support hanging items. The upper ends of the stringers include hook members, whereby the hook members secure over an existing towel rod. Along the rear surface of the vertical stringers are offset members, which extend outward and bear against the adjacent wall surface. In this way, the towel rod and the adjacent wall support the caddy device in a substantially vertical state.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/174,898 filed on Jun. 12, 2015. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to shower caddies and toiletry holders. More specifically, the present invention relates to an article holder that is adapted to be suspended from a towel rack within a bathroom and supported from a vertical wall, whereby the device supports items for use in the bathroom.

Many showers contain an accumulation of personal products, such as shower gels, shampoos, soap, razors, wash cloths, and various other products. Space in a shower, however, is usually limited. Shelving areas can therefore be overcrowded and lack space for additional items. Many individuals keep the products on the floor of the shower. Unfortunately, placement on the shower floor creates several problems. The products can become cluttered and disorganized on the floor, making them difficult to retrieve when needed. Placement on the floor requires the user to bend over or crouch to retrieve the product, which is not desirable. Unorganized placement near a standing user's feet can also create a trip hazard, which is unwanted in a shower environment. Finally, maintaining products on the shower floor allows the products to become dirty over time, as they are constantly in contact with water and runoff from the user.

Maintaining shower and toiletry products on the ground is therefore highly undesirable. Placement within cabinets or on cluttered shelves is also problematic, as the products may not be accessible or fit on the remaining shelf space. Therefore, a need exists for a shower and bathroom storage device that can be supported along a wall surface and be used to support products for the user.

The present invention fulfills this need by providing a hanging caddy device with a rectangular construction, a horizontal shelf, and a support system that relies on an existing towel rack and the adjacent wall surface. In particular, the caddy device has two or more vertical stringers, a lower cross member, and a shelf between the stringers. The shelf supports products therein, while hanging hooks along the lower cross member support towels and other items. The caddy device is supported from a towel rack or similarly exposed rod using hook members disposed along the upper ends of the vertical stringers. Along the stringer lengths, offset post members bear against the adjacent wall and maintain the shelf in a substantially vertical condition. The present invention provides an additional storage area within a shower or within a bathroom for supporting products for the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following summary is intended solely for the benefit of the reader and is not intended to be limiting in any way. The present invention provides a new hanging caddy device that can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when supporting products thereon.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved hanging caddy device that has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a hanging caddy device that is adapted to support products and items thereon, while being supported from a horizontal rod and an adjacent wall.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a hanging caddy device that comprises at least two vertical stringers having an upper end, a length, and a lower end. The vertical stringers have a front edge and a rear edge, whereby the front edge is adapted to face out from an adjacent wall surface, and the rear edge is adapted to face the adjacent wall.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a hanging caddy device in which the upper end of the stringers further comprise an opening and a hook member, whereby the opening is adapted to receive the horizontal rod therein while the hook member is positioned thereover. The opening faces the rear edge of the stringers to receive the rod from the rear of the caddy.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a hanging caddy device in which the hook member and opening of each vertical stringer are aligned such that the vertical stringers are parallel and vertical when the hook members are placed over a horizontal rod.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a hanging caddy device in which the lower cross member extends perpendicularly between the lower ends of the vertical stringers, and the shelf extends perpendicularly between the vertical stringers above the lower cross member.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a hanging caddy device in which an offset post member extends from the rear edge of each vertical stringer, whereby the offset post members have an outer extent that is adapted to bear against an adjacent wall surface while the hook members of the vertical stringers are supported by the horizontal rod that is connected to the wall surface.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a hanging caddy device in which the hook members of the vertical stringers are adapted to secure over a towel rack rod and the opening is sized to receive the towel rack rod therein. The towel rack rod is offset from the wall surface and the offset members maintain the caddy device in a substantially parallel state relative to the wall.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a hanging caddy device in which the shelf comprises a support surface and upstanding sidewalls around a periphery of the support surface, whereby the shelf supports products thereon as the upstanding walls contain the products while on the shelf.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a hanging caddy device in which the lower cross member further comprises one or more hanging hook hardware articles extending therefrom to supporting hanging items from the lower cross member.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a hanging caddy device wherein the shelf and the lower cross member further comprise a first lateral side and a second lateral side. The vertical stringers comprise a first vertical stringer and second vertical stringer, whereby the first vertical stringer supports the first lateral side of the shelf and the lower cross member, and the second vertical stringer supports the second lateral side of the shelf and the lower cross member. In this manner, the caddy device comprise a substantially rectangular shape, whereby the vertical stringers are parallel and vertical, as the shelf and lower cross member are perpendicular to the stringer and substantially horizontal.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the caddy device of the present invention in a working state, supported by a towel rod and offset from a wall surface.

FIG. 2 shows a frontal view of the caddy device of the present invention in a working state, supported by a towel rod and offset from a wall surface.

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the caddy device of the present invention in a working state, supported by a towel rod and offset from a wall surface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the caddy device of the present invention. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for supporting products thereon as the caddy device is supported from a towel rod and an adjacent wall surface. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-3, there are shown views of the caddy device of the present invention. The caddy device 10 of the present invention is one that is adapted to be supported along its upper end 30 via an existing rod, such as a towel rack rod 100 or the like, while the body of the caddy is supported away from an adjacent wall 200 by offset members 23. In this manner, the caddy device 10 is supported by the rod 100 and offset from the wall 200 such that the caddy 10 is substantially vertical when the offset members 23 are equal to the offset of the rod 100 from the adjacent wall 200. In use, the caddy device 10 is used to support both loose items 400 and hanging items therefrom. Therefore, the device does not eliminate hanging storage space when supported by the rod 100, but increases loose storage and retains at least the same hanging storage capacity by providing hook hardware 22 therealong.

The structure of the caddy device 10 comprises a plurality of upstanding, vertical stringers 12. The stringers extend from the lower end 20 of the caddy to the upper end 30, and support a shelf 16 and cross members 21 therebetween. At least two stringers 12 are provided, whereby two or more are contemplated. The stringers 12 are structural members that also allow the upper end 30 of the caddy device to be supported by the exposed rod 100. In particular, the upper end 30 of the stringers comprise an opening 16 and a hook member 13, whereby the opening 16 faces the rear edge of the stringers to receive the exposed rod 100 therethrough. The hook members 13 of the stringers are adapted to secure over an existing towel rack rod 100, while the opening 16 is sized to receive the towel rack rod 100 therein. The hook members 13 of the stringers are aligned such that the vertical stringers 12 are parallel and vertical when the hook members 13 are placed over the rod 100. The hook members 13 secure over the upper end of the rod 100 and allow the caddy device 10 to be suspended therefrom.

Along the length 14 of the stringers 12 and disposed between the stringers 12 is a shelf 18 and a lower cross member 21. The lower cross member 21 extends between the lower ends of the vertical stringers 12 and provides a plurality of hook hardware elements 22 therealong. The hook hardware elements 22 extend outward from the caddy device and allow hanging items to be supported from the lower cross member 21. In this way, the hooks 22 allow the caddy to provide hanging support for towels and other articles. The hooks 22 also allow the caddy device 10 to replace and supplement the storage space otherwise provided by the exposed rod 100 when the caddy 10 is not installed thereon.

Disposed above the lower cross member 21 and between the vertical stringers 12 is the shelf 18. The shelf 18 is used to support loose items 400 thereon, whereby the shelf 18 is substantially perpendicular to the vertical stringers 12 and disposed between the lower end 20 and the upper end 30 of the stringers 12. The shelf 18 may comprises a planar surface between the stringers 12, or alternatively, the shelf may comprise a support surface 47 with upstanding sidewalls 45, 46 around a periphery of the support surface 47. Upstanding sidewalls 45, 46, including an outer walls 46 and end walls 45, allow the shelf 18 to contain the loose items 400 on the shelf without the items 400 rolling or otherwise falling therefrom. The sidewalls form an upstanding box with an open upper and an upper edge 48, whereby the items 400 are retained therein until the user removes the items 400 for use.

Extending from the rear edge of each of the stringers 12 is an offset post member 23, which is used to offset the stringers 12 from the adjacent wall surface 200. The offset post members 23 extend from the rear edge of each vertical stringer 12 and have an outer extent that is adapted to bear against the wall surface 200. The outer extent of the offset post members 23 are adapted to bear against a wall surface 200 while the hook members 16 of the vertical stringers 12 are supported by the horizontal rod 100 that is connected to the wall surface 200. The offset post members 23 may affix to the rear of the stringers 12, be continuous extension thereof, or alternatively, the offset post members 23 may be formed from the ends of the lower cross member 21 (as shown in FIG. 2).

The caddy device 10 of the present invention is preferably a rectangular frame structure, whereby the stringers 12 are parallel and substantially vertical, while the lowermost cross member 21 and the shelf 18 are perpendicular to the stringers 12 and substantially horizontal. In one embodiment, the shelf 18 and the lower cross member 21 further comprise a first lateral side and a second lateral side. The vertical stringers 12 further comprises a first vertical stringer and second vertical stringer, whereby the first vertical stringer supports the first lateral side of the shelf and the lower cross member, and the second vertical stringer supports the second lateral side of the shelf and the lower cross member. In this way, the caddy comprises a substantially rectangular shape. Overall, the present invention increases storage space within a bathroom or shower, without compromising existing rack space.

It is submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention. 

I claim: 1) A hanging caddy device, comprising: at least two vertical stringers having an upper end, a length, and a lower end; the vertical stringers having a front edge and a rear edge; the upper end of the stringers further comprising an opening and a hook member; the hook member and opening of each vertical stringer being aligned such that the vertical stringers are parallel and vertical when the hook members are placed over a horizontal rod; a lower cross member extending between the lower ends of the vertical stringers; a shelf disposed between the vertical stringers, whereby the shelf is substantially perpendicular to the vertical stringers and disposed between the lower end and the upper end of the stringers; an offset post member extending from the rear edge of each vertical stringer, whereby the offset post members have an outer extent; the outer extent of the offset post members are adapted to bear against a wall surface while the hook members of the vertical stringers are supported by the horizontal rod that is connected to the wall surface. 2) The hanging caddy device of claim 1, wherein: the hook members are adapted to secure over a towel rack rod and the opening is sized to receive the towel rack rod therein; whereby the towel rack rod is offset from the wall surface. 3) The hanging caddy device of claim 1, wherein the shelf comprises a support surface and upstanding sidewalls around a periphery of the support surface. 4) The hanging caddy device of claim 1, wherein the lower cross member further comprises one or more hook hardware articles extending therefrom. 5) The hanging caddy device of claim 1, wherein: wherein the shelf and the lower cross member further comprise a first lateral side and a second lateral side; whereby the least two vertical stringers further comprises a first vertical stringer and second vertical stringer, whereby the first vertical stringer supports the first lateral side of the shelf and the lower cross member, and the second vertical stringer supports the second lateral side of the shelf and the lower cross member. 